Reassembling the Social in Barcelona through Minimalist Urban Interventions: Visual Poetry and the Rehabilitation of Party Walls (2004–2009)

Vives, Anna

Bulletin of Hispanic Studies (2019), 96, (5), 513–531.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3828/bhs.2019.30
Language: English
Pages: 19

Abstract

Recent studies on the effects of globalization on the city of Barcelona have concentrated on criticizing the corresponding urban model. Whilst gentrification and segregation are tangible issues in contemporary Barcelona, these studies have not contemplated the new minimalist urban interventions that strive to look for a solution to the excesses resulting from the combination of urban tourism and the global economy. This paper focuses on four party walls rehabilitated with the visual poetry of Joan Salvat-Papasseit, Josep Maria Junoy, Joan Brossa and Carles Sindreu i Pons in the period 2004–2009 as part of the campaign ‘Barcelona, posa’t guapa’ (1986–). Drawing on Bruno Latour’s Actor Network Theory, I explore how performativity, dislocation and movement in these artistic party walls contribute to reassembling the social in Barcelona while dismantling an unnecessary distinction between the local and the global.

Los estudios recientes sobre los efectos de la globalización en Barcelona se han concentrado en criticar el correspondiente modelo urbano. Aunque la gentrificación y la segregación son asuntos tangibles en la Barcelona contemporánea, estos estudios no han tenido en cuenta las nuevas intervenciones urbanas minimalistas que intentan buscar una solución a los excesos que resultan de la combinación del turismo urbano y la economía global. Este artículo se centra en cuatro paredes medianeras rehabilitadas con poesía visual de Joan Salvat-Papasseit, Josep Maria Junoy, Joan Brossa y Carles Sindreu i Pons en el periodo 2004–2009 como parte de la campaña ‘Barcelona, posa’t guapa’ (1986–). Partiendo de la teoría del actor-red de Bruno Latour, se analiza de qué manera la performatividad, la dislocación y el movimiento en estas paredes medianeras artísticas contribuyen al reensamblaje de lo social en Barcelona al tiempo que desmantelan la innecesaria distinción entre lo local y lo global.

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